The Ford Motor Company is one of America's iconic brand names recognized worldwide: one of the so-called 'Big Three' U.S. automakers - the other two being General Motors and Chrysler - all presently embroiled in U.S. government actions to support the industry with a proposed $14 billion bailout, without which General Motors and Chrysler say they risk ruin with Ford saying it may need funds in the future.
While this business backdrop sets the scene for mainstream media headlines and reporting, Ford continues to communicate and engage with its stakeholders and other interested parties, employing the full spectrum of tools and channels as appropriate.
It's the area of social media and communication that is the prime focus of this interview with Scott Monty, Head of Social Media at Ford's worldwide headquarters in Dearborn, USA.
In this conversation with Neville Hobson and Shel Holtz, Scott talks through the events surrounding a Ford fan site and alleged counterfeit Ford parts, how criticisms of Ford's legal moves blew up across auto-enthusiast and other websites and blogs in a 24-hour period, and the key role Twitter played in enabling Scott to rapidly defuse and help to successfully address those criticisms.
Scott also talks about The Ford Story, and offers five critical tips for any communicator embarking on deploying social media in the enterprise.
Download the podcast
here (16MB).